Dell’s Women’s Entrepreneur Network Heads to Turkey?

A new post in Entrepreneur.com by Sarah J. Robbins offers some encouraging news on the international front that should be inspiring to the organizers who have launched Upstart Memphis, which is dedicated to the mission of boosting female entrepreneurship.

From Robbins:

Though women entrepreneurs have traditionally been under-represented in business and tech fields, there’s more and more evidence that when given the opportunity, they shine as leaders — even boosting the odds of success at venture-backed companies.

To cater to this growing demographic, Dell in 2010 established the invitation-only Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network, or DWEN, through its Women Powering Business initiative. Since then, the Austin, Texas–based company has convened annually in some surprisingly far-flung locales, including Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro and Delhi, India.

Earlier this month, Dell announced that in June they’ll bring a group of 150 women from 11 countries, including the U.S., to Istanbul. What’s behind the multi-million dollar investment and the bold choice of venue? We caught up with Kim Hibler, vice president of small and medium business for Dell Americas, to talk Turkey.